ⓘ This page is auto-translated

생활 언어

Complete mastery of Hindi numbers, time, and money — from Lakhs and Crores to essential bargaining expressions and time zone conversation

By ARAZIA India Desk10 min read

Close-up of Indian 50 rupee note — Conversation guide to expressing numbers, money and time in Hindi — Sohel Patel (CC0, Wikimedia Commons)

There are three language barriers that anyone encounters after spending a few months in India. as soon asnumbers, time, moneyno see. Have you ever paused at the word 'das rupaye' at a vegetable shop, taken out a calculator when a real estate agent called the price of an apartment '30 lakh' because you had no idea how much it was, and nodded uncertainly when an autorickshaw driver said 'It'll be there in 20 minutes' — these three things continue to hold you back even as you get used to life in India.

Fortunately, Hindi expressions for numbers, time, and money areA few key patternsIf you just learn it, your actual coverage rate will increase significantly. In particular, daily conversation becomes much more comfortable if you learn the sense of Lakh (100,000) and Crore (10 million), which are large units unique to India, about 10 bargaining expressions used in markets and auto rickshaws, and the time zone and way of calling time.

This article focuses on situations frequently experienced by Koreans living in Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida.Reading numbers → Large numbers (lakh, kroor) → Time expressions → Necessary expressions for bargaining → Practical conversation examples → Cultural tipsArranged in order. Even if you don't know any Hindi, writing down the sentences here in a notebook will help you get through the first month or two much more smoothly.

01Hindi numbers 0 to 100 — from Devanagari notation to pronunciation tips

Hindi numerals combine two notations. one we are familiar withArabic numerals (0~9)and the other is Hindi's ownDevanagari numbersno see. In real life, most banks, telecommunication companies, and administrative documents use Arabic numerals, so it is enough to learn Devanagari numerals to a level where you can recognize them when you encounter them occasionally.

number	Devanagari	Hindi pronunciation (romanization)	Hangul notation
0	०	shunya	Shunya
1	१	ek	Eck
2	२	do	do
3	३	teen	ting
4	४	chaar	czar
5	५	paanch	pants
6	६	chhah	car
7	७	saat	Sart
8	८	aath	art
9	९	new	Now
10	१०	das	dozen

10 units·100·1000

20bees /30tees /40chaalees /50pachaas
60saath (pronunciation is similar to 7, so differentiate by context) /70sattar /80assi /90nabbe
100sau /1000hazaar

The rules for the numbers between 11 and 99 are somewhat irregular, so it is faster to memorize them in their entirety. However, in real lifeMost product prices, phone numbers, and addresses are written in Arabic numerals.And merchants often show a calculator screen, so first of all,1 to 10 and tens, 100 (sau), up to 1000 (hazaar)Even if you learn it clearly, more than 90% of communication in the market will be solved.

02Lakh and Crore — Indian sense of big numbers

When you come to India, there are two words you will definitely encounter within a few days. as soon asLakh (लाख)andCrore (करोड़)no see. Real estate prices, salaries, wedding budgets, even accident claims in the news headlines — when Indians talk about big numbers, they express them in lakhs and crores instead of millions or billions. If you don't have this sense, you won't be able to decide whether it's expensive or cheap even after receiving an apartment rental estimate.

Indian notation	actual value	unit	understanding korean style
1,000	1,000	hazaar	1,000
1,00,000	100,000	1 lakh	100,000
10,00,000	1,000,000	10 lakh	1 million
1,00,00,000	10,000,000	1 crore	10 million
100,00,00,000	1,000,000,000	100 crore	1 billion

As you may have noticed by looking at the table, IndiaInstead of putting a comma every three digits, put a comma every two digits after the first three digits.. Real estate and salary conversations become easier when you can immediately read a number that looks like 1,00,000 as '100,000'.

Get a feel for it with real-life examples

Near Gurgaon Cyber City3BHK monthly rent '80 hazaar'= 80,000 rupees per month (about 1.3 million won)
noida2BHK sale price ‘1.2 crore’= 1,200 lakh = 120 million rupees (about 2 billion won)
salary'15 lakh per annum'= 1.5 million rupees per year = 125,000 rupees per month
It often appears in the Indian version of prize money and charity donation news.'50 crore'= 500 million rupees (about 8 billion won)

Just remember that in Korea they use units of 10,000 and 100,000,000,000,000, while in India they use units of 100,000 and 100,000,000 crores, and the flow of conversation becomes much more natural. In the early days of my tenure, I used a calculator app.1 Lakh = 100,000, 1 Crore = 10 MillionIt is also a good idea to leave a note saying.

Indian 2000 Rupees Banknote — Understanding Hindi Lakh Crore Large Number Units — When talking about large amounts of money, Indians use units such as Lakh (100,000) and Crore (10 million) instead of million·billion. · Ravi Dwivedi (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)

03Expressions for time, time, and day of the week — from ‘What time is it?’ to ‘See you tomorrow’

Hindi time expressions can be easily understood even if you learn them in English roman letters. butMorning and afternoon are expressed as time zone names (subah, dopahar, shaam, raat)If you learn your habits, conversations will become much more natural.

What time is it now?

Kitne baje hain?(Kitne Baze Servant?) = What time is it?
1 o'clock =Ek baja hai.(Ek Baja Hai) — baja singular, with the exception of 1 o’clock.
2 o'clock or more =Do baje hain / Teen baje hain(Do Baje Hain / Tin Baje Hain)
2:30 =Dhai Baje(Dai Baze) / 1:30 =Derh baje(der Baze) — These two are exception expressions, so I memorize them in their entirety.
3:15 =teen bajkar pandrah minute(Tin Vajkar Pandra Minut)

Time zone, time, day of the week

division	Hindi (Romanization)	meaning
morning	Subah (सुबह)	Early morning - around 11am
afternoon	Dopahar (दोपहर)	Around noon to 3pm
dinner	Shaam (शाम)	4 p.m. – before sunset
night	Raat (रात)	After the sun sets ~ before dawn
today	Aaj (आज)	today
tomorrow/yesterday	Kal (कल)	Divided by context (judged by verb tense)
The day after tomorrow/the day before yesterday	Parson (परसों)	Divided by verb tense
now	Abhi (अभी)	right now

What's interesting isThe word 'kal' means both yesterday and tomorrow.is true. In Hindi, verb tenses (past tense and future tense) are classified, so it may be confusing at first, but you will get the hang of it after a few days. When you need to ‘Please wait’ in an auto rickshaw'Ek minute rukiye'(Ek minut rukkiye — please wait 1 minute) usually works.

Autorickshaws on Delhi roads — Negotiation of time, distance and fare is essential in India — Negotiating autorickshaw fares is the best stage to learn practical expressions of time, distance, and amount. · Hk31122002 (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)

0415 essential bargaining expressions to use in markets and rickshaws

In India, bargaining is not rude.a form of everyday communicationno see. Excluding large supermarkets and department stores that have a scouting system, the first price offered at vegetable and fruit stalls, clothing stores, auto rickshaws, and even souvenir shops at tourist attractions is mostly the price that leaves room for negotiation. The following 15 expressions are the framework for that conversation.

situation	Hindi expression (Romanization)	meaning / tone
ask price	Kitne ka hai?(Kitne ka hai?)	How much is this?
price per unit	Ek kilo kitne ka hai?	How much is it for 1 kg?
expensive sign	Bahut mehnga hai.(Bahut menga hai)	It's too expensive
Please shave it off	Thoda kam kariye.(Kam Kariye again)	Please shave a little bit (politely)
Please cut more	Aur kam kariye.	Please cut more
final price	Aakhri kya hai?(Akhri kya hai?)	What is the final price?
Check it out	Yeh sasta hai.	This is cheap
According to the price list	MRP par diijiye.	Please give me the MRP price (request for fixed price)
Let's go to Meter.	Meter se chaliye.(Miter se jaliye)	Please go by the meter (auto rickshaw)
Flat rate refusal	Fix rate nahi.	Not a flat rate, but a meter
That doesn't make sense	Yeh bahut zyada hai.(Yeh bahut jada hai)	this is too much
It's okay, I won't buy it.	Rehne dijiye.(Rene Diziye)	That's it, I'll move on.
acceptance	Theek hai.(tick high)	Okay / I understand
thanks	Dhanyavaad.(Dhanyabad)	Thank you / I use Shukriya often too
refusal	Nahi chahiye.(Nahi chahiye)	I don't need it

The Psychology of Bargaining — Three Principles

Smiling, but confident.In India, it is much more effective to smile and say 'It's too expensive' instead of blushing.
The 'Rehne dijiye' card is half sincere.If you leave this expression and turn away, in many cases the merchant will call you a new price.
60-70% of the initial offer priceThis is a typical starting negotiator. For tourist souvenirs, it's not unreasonable to start lower than that. However, vegetables, fruits, etc.Avoid excessive bargaining for necessities with low unit prices.This is a local practice.

Indian Vegetable Market — A Real World Where Hindi Bargain Expressions Are Required — Indian local markets have a culture where bargaining is natural. The trick is to smile and sing with confidence. · Whispyhistory (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)

05Practical Conversation Chapter 3 — Vegetable Store, Clothing Store, Autorickshaw

Now, let’s connect the expressions we learned earlier into actual conversations. The three scenes below are situations that are actually repeated in Delhi and Gurgaon, so if you memorize the sentences, you can use them right away.

1. Vegetable store – buy 1kg of tomatoes

customer: Bhaiya, tamatar kitne ka hai?(Brother, how much are the tomatoes?)
merchant: Chaalees rupaye kilo.(40 rupees per kg)
customer: Bahut mehnga hai. Thoda kam kariye.(It's too expensive, please reduce it a little)
merchant: Achha, pachchees rupaye. Aakhri.(Like 25 rupees, final price)
customer: Theek hai, ek kilo diijiye. Dhanyavaad.(Okay, please give me 1kg. Thank you)

2. Clothing store — Negotiating the price of the scarf

customer: Yeh scarf kitne ka hai?(How much is this scarf?)
merchant: Aath sau rupaye.(800 rupees)
customer: Bahut zyada hai. Paanch sau kariye?(It's too expensive, can't it be 500?)
merchant: Nahi madam, chhah sau.(No ma’am, 600 will do)
customer: Rehne dijiye…(Okay, then…) — The moment you turn around
merchant: Achha, paanch sau pachaas — final!(550 likes, final!)
customer: Theek hai.(great)

3. Autorickshaw — Gurgaon Cyber City to Golf Course Road

customer: Bhaiya, Golf Course Road, DLF Phase 2. Meter se chaliye.
article: Meter nahi, do sau rupaye.(Do not turn on the meter, 200 rupees)
customer: Nahi, meter se. Yeh bahut zyada hai.(No, please go by meter. It's too expensive)
article: Achha theek hai, meter se.(Okay, let's go with meters)

In the case of auto rickshaws, if meter tampering is suspected or flat rate negotiation is difficult,Call apps such as Uber Auto, Ola Auto, Rapido, etc.It is much more convenient to use . UPI linkage with local payment appChecklist for your first 30 days in IndiaWe have organized them in order.

Bazaar alley in a provincial city in India — a stage for practical conversation and bargaining in Hindi. — In a local bazaar rather than a large supermarket, just a few words of Hindi can make a huge difference in the conversation. · Harshit SR (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)

06Common mistakes and cultural tips — Honorifics, tips, GST, synonyms

Even after learning some Hindi expressions, Koreans often missCulture/Manner PointsThere are a few things. The following is a summary of the trials and errors I actually experienced.

Honorifics — determined by Aap and -iye

There are three Hindi words for 'you'.Aap (polite), Tum (friendly), Tu (informal/non-honorific). Must be given to merchants, autorickshaw drivers, and adults you meet for the first time.AapWrite .
Verb endings too-iye (polite)and-o (friendly)is different. 'Kam kariye' (please cut politely) and 'Kam karo' (speak informally) have completely different connotations, so at first-iyeLearn only the forms that end with .

Cultural and administrative tips related to money

Maximum Retail Price (MRP)is the legal highest retail price in India and is printed on packaged foods and household goods. At the Scout Festival storeMRP by diijiyeYou can prevent price rip-offs if you nail it down as follows: (please give me the MRP).
GST Receipt: Restaurants, hotels, and premium stores have a separate GST attached. on the billCGST + SGSTGet into the habit of checking to see if there is a line. The latest tax rate isIndian Customs/GST Official SiteIt's safe to check.
tipping culture: Tipping is not required in India, but a 'Service Charge' is often already included in the bill. When adding a separate tip5-10% of total amountIt's okay.
paisa: 1 rupee = 100 paisa, but in real life, paisa units have almost disappeared and retail prices are mostly rounded to the nearest rupee.

Words that sound similar and are easy to confuse

word	meaning	point of confusion
SaatvsSaath	7 / together	Vowel lengths are different — the number 7 is shorter, 'together' is longer.
SauvsSo	100 / sleep	In the price conversation, it is always 100
Kal	Yesterday / Tomorrow	Classified by verb tense (past/future)
KamvsKaam	Less/Less / Work/Work	Vowel lengths are different — Kam is short in bargaining.

In summary, the success or failure of Hindi conversation isChoosing an ending (-iye) and title (Aap) that conveys politeness to the other person rather than accuracy of pronunciationIt depends much more on . Just by saying a few sentences with a smile, you will experience a noticeable change in the merchant's attitude. Practical information on using the marketSummary of grocery shopping in IndiaPlease refer to the tips for each channel in the section.

Useful tips

Leave a note saying ‘1 Lakh = 100,000’ in your calculator app.

In the early days of taking office, conversations about real estate, salary, and big expenses are repeated, but until you get a sense of the lakhs and crores, writing down '1 lakh = 100,000 / 1 crore = 10,000,000' at the top of the calculator app will greatly reduce the chances of embarrassment during impromptu conversations.

Familiarize yourself with the unique Indian comma notation (1,00,000).

In India, commas are placed in increments of two digits starting after the first three digits, rather than every three digits. Become familiar with expressions such as '15,00,000' in real estate advertisements or bank statements so that you can immediately convert them to 1,500,000 (1.5 million).

Just adding the verb ending ‘-iye’ changes the conversation temperature.

Kariye (polite) instead of Karo (informal), Chaliye, Diijiye, Sunniye instead of Chalo — just changing one ending to polite makes the response of merchants and drivers noticeably smoother. For beginners, it is safe to always use the -iye form.

Reduce the stress of bargaining by calling an autorickshaw app

If negotiating the meter is burdensome, call an autorickshaw using apps such as Uber Auto, Ola Auto, or Rapido. The fee is confirmed in advance in the app and paid automatically with UPI, so you can use it without language burden.

MRP par diijiye — One sentence to prevent store rip-offs

The Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of a packaged product is the legal maximum retail price. When you are asked to pay more at a tourist attraction or small town convenience store, the situation is usually resolved by saying ‘MRP par diijiye (please give me the regular price)’.

Common pitfalls and how to solve them

They have no sense of Lakhs (100,000) and Crores (10 million), so they misunderstand digits in real estate and salary conversations.

→

Save the conversion table of 1 Lakh = 100,000 / 1 Crore = 10,000,000 in a notepad and familiarize yourself with the Indian comma notation (1,00,000 / 1,00,00,000). If something is unclear during a conversation, ask the other person to ‘show it in numbers (Number likh ke dijiye).’

My appointment schedule is confusing because 'Kal' means both yesterday and tomorrow.

→

Hindi distinguishes between yesterday and tomorrow by verb tense (past tense and future tense). At first, check 'tomorrow' or 'yesterday' in English instead of Hindi, and make sure to reconfirm important appointments with the day of the week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) or date.

By using the informal form of the verb (-o), the attitude of the merchant or driver suddenly becomes cold.

→

The formal (-iye) ending and address Aap are used as default. Even if the other person uses informal language, it is safer for you to maintain the -iye format, and in fact, if you just keep this one thing in mind, your bargaining success rate will increase noticeably.

If you bargain too much for low-priced necessities such as vegetables and fruits, your feelings will be hurt with street vendors.

→

Unlike tourist souvenirs, clothing, and autorickshaws, margins for vegetables and fruits are often already thin. If you avoid excessive bargaining for 5 to 10 rupees and approach in the order of ‘check the price → purchase in small quantities → become a regular customer’, you will often get a bonus.

They don't see the service charge and GST that are already on the restaurant bill, so they add a double tip.

→

First check the CGST·SGST line and the Service Charge item on the bill. If the service charge is already included, a separate tip is not mandatory, and a 5-10% tip is only added when the service is particularly good. GST Tax rate information can be found on the official website of the Indian Customs and GST Authority.

Latest updates

UPI As a result, QR payment culture spreads instead of small bargaining블링킷·젭토 같은 초고속 배달 앱과 UPI QR 결제가 노점상까지 보편화되면서, 채소·과일 소매점에서는 정찰가 표시와 QR 결제 비중이 계속 늘고 있습니다. Although bargaining is still useful, the scouting system is the rule in large premium stores and app payment stores.
The burden of meter negotiation is reduced by expanding the autorickshaw app calling service.As app-based autorickshaw calling, such as Uber Auto, Ola Auto, and Rapido, has become popular across Delhi-NCR, foreigners who have difficulty negotiating meters due to language barriers can conveniently use the app by confirming the fare in advance and paying with UPI.

FAQ

How much is a Lakh and a Crore?

1 Lakh (लाख) is 100,000 (100,000) and 1 Crore (करोड़) is 10,000,000 (10 million). In India, large numbers are expressed in the form 1,00,000 (1 Lakh) and 1,00,00,000 (1 Crore) by putting commas in every two digits starting from the first three digits instead of commas every three digits.

Can I live in India without knowing a word of Hindi?

In large cities such as Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida, most people can live in English. However, learning just a few key phrases such as 'Kitne ka hai? (How much is it?)', 'Meter se chaliye (Please go by the meter)', and 'Thoda kam kariye (Please reduce a little)' in short conversations with autorickshaw drivers, local market vendors, and apartment security guards can greatly increase the convenience of life.

오토릭샤 요금 흥정이 부담스럽습니다. What should I do?

When you use app-based hailing services such as Uber Auto, Ola Auto, and Rapido, fares are pre-confirmed in the app and paid automatically with UPI, eliminating the burden of language negotiation. When catching one on the street, it is safer to ask politely, 'Meter se chaliye' (please go by the meter), and if they ask for a flat fare, transfer to another autorickshaw.

How much is appropriate to cut when bargaining in the Indian market?

Negotiations often start at around 40-60% of the initial offer price for souvenirs and clothing at tourist destinations, and at around 60-70% for miscellaneous goods in general local markets. However, it is a local practice to avoid excessive bargaining for necessities such as vegetables and fruits with thin margins, and bargaining is not done at large premium supermarkets where the scouting system is the rule.

How do you express honorifics in Hindi?

There are three pronouns for 'you': Aap (polite), Tum (friendly), and Tu (non-honorable), and Aap is always used when meeting people for the first time, merchants, or drivers. Verb endings are also divided into -iye (polite) and -o (friendly), with 'Kam kariye' being a polite request and 'Kam karo' being an informal speech, so for beginners, it is safe to stick to the form Aap + -iye.

References & links

Embassy of the Republic of Korea in India (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy)KOTRA Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency Indian Government Official Portal Indian Customs·GST (CBIC-GST)RBI, Central Bank of India (banknote/currency information)India Tourism Board Incredible India